By Tim Mastro

State hopeful to resume J&J vaccinations next week

By Tim Mastro

Delaware State News

WILMINGTON — The Delaware Division of Public Health hopes to resume Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccinations sometime next week.

Administration of the J&J vaccine, the only one-dose COVID-19 shot, has been paused per guidance from the Centers for the Disease Control and Prevention as it investigates six cases of blood clots in women who recently received the vaccine.

Gov. John Carney said governors were told Tuesday during a conference call with the White House, the CDC will have a meeting Friday regarding the J&J vaccine. He added, based on the results of the meeting, an announcement should be expected Friday or Saturday.

“It sounded somewhat optimistic on the call this morning,” Gov. Carney said. “I don’t want to jump the gun, but everyone is hopeful.”

The DPH’s final mass vaccination clinic at Dover International Speedway is scheduled for the weekend of May 1. Gov. Carney said his hope is the J&J vaccines will be administered at this event, so the participants do not need to worry about finding a second dose at another location.

A.J. Schall, director of the Delaware Emergency Management Agency, said the state has about 5,000 doses of the J&J vaccine ready to go if approved.

“The thought is, if the green light is given, it will be utilized our last weekend at Dover International Speedway,” Mr. Schall said.

“If it gets approved Friday, there’s no reason to rush and use it this weekend. We know there’s going to be questions. There’s going to be concerns people might have. We want to make sure education, any literature and anything else that we need to absorb and really filter out to the staff, that we can do it in a proactive way and the right way.”

More than 6.8 million doses of the J&J vaccine were administered in the U.S. before the pause. The DPH is reporting 26,449 total persons who have been vaccinated in Delaware with the one-dose vaccine series as of Monday at 11:59 p.m.

DPH director Dr. Karyl Rattay said pharmacies have been holding onto their doses of the J&J vaccine and will be another source for Delawareans next week, pending the CDC’s announcement.

Dr. Rattay said she was not disappointed in the pause, crediting the CDC for investigating the issue.

“My response has been this action should really bolster the confidence of the American people in the vaccine safety processes,” Dr. Rattay said. “That these agencies would take a break from the million of ongoing vaccinations with J&J to better understand and be transparent about this issue, really shows just how seriously they take the safety of these vaccines.”

Delaware has administered a total of 650,899 doses of vaccine, including the two-dose Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, as of Monday at 11:59 p.m.

The state is hosting another vaccination clinic at Dover International Speedway Sunday. Only second doses will be given out at this event for individuals who received their first dose at the speedway.

Dover International Speedway has hosted more than 20 events since February with more than 70,000 doses administered. That total does not include doses done at a five-day event through a partnership with the Federal Emergency Management Agency in February.